In The End
by Vege-Chan
Summary: ON HIATUS. Beginning in the future timeline based on the question of "What if future Gohan lived instead of Trunks?" Warning: Yaoi, Strong Language, Mild Gore.
1. Tragedy

In The End - Chapter 1

"In The End"

Chapter 1

The air stank of blood. It hung so heavily about him, that he swore he could almost taste it.

Gohan held his breath for a moment, afraid to unleash the cry of anguish aching in his chest. If he made even the slightest sound he knew that would mean they'd won and he refused to give them that satisfaction.

There was very little he could do to stave the trembling in his body as he struggled to pull his pants up with the only good hand he had. Shakily, he tugged at the fabric bunched around his knees, his mind reeling from the events that had occurred. When at last he had his pants back up to his waist he searched in vain for his sash and then he remembered that the androids had ripped it off.

"Damn it," he cursed before abandoning his efforts and focusing his energies on something far more important.

"Trunks?"

There was no reply.

With a grunt, Gohan rolled to his right till he lay chest down on the ground. "Trunks," he rasped.

Again, no reply and that was when Gohan began to fear the worst. He moved toward the boy, awash in that sickening feeling you get when you know something bad has happened. He silently prayed that Trunks was unconscious and that that was the only reason why he wasn't responding.

Gohan dragged himself, half crawling, half wiggling along on his stomach like a worm. The loose gravel bit into his wounds and his broken left arm hung useless at his side making his journey seem painfully slow. Thankfully, he didn't feel any of the initial pain with his body still running high on endorphins.

He blinked rapidly and shook his head, his vision red from the blood seeping from the slash over the left side of his face. He continued to struggle along, using his good arm as a crutch and pushed with the toes of his boots to give momentum till at last he had reached the young man's side.

"Trunks…" He swallowed dryly, fighting a surge of nausea. "Trunks," he said again, his voice rising in volume. He grasped the boy's shoulder and shook him, tears mingling with the blood in his eyes.

The boy remained motionless, his expression almost serene as if he were only sleeping despite the fact that he lay in a puddle of his own blood.

Gohan scanned the teenager's body and couldn't deny the evidence since it'd been staring him in the face the entire time. He'd chosen to ignore it, clinging to some small hope that maybe…just maybe…

The first sob broke free and though he tried to restrain it, his attempt was to no avail. Crimson tears drew gruesome lines down his face as he shifted and rose awkwardly to his knees. Then, he gathered the lifeless body in his one good arm and held the teenager much like a mother would a child in need of comfort.

Why did this happen? Why, after spending the last ¾ of his life protecting this child did it come to such an abrupt end?

He cupped the boy's head against his right shoulder and swayed, baring his teeth at the heavens, "God…damn…you…," he snarled.

'_Why couldn't it have been me?_'

Gohan crushed the limp boy to his chest and cried like he hadn't cried since he was little. He never thought he'd feel this kind of pain again, not since his father's death. Gohan swore that day he'd never allow anyone to be hurt again but as a child he had been helpless to stop the androids' reign of terror. Even when he made that promise, how could a 10 year old ever hope to accomplish something where everyone else had failed? Each death of his loved ones pushed him further, building his resolve to become stronger so that one day he could end the hell that had gripped the planet for 14 years.

When Gohan finally did accomplish super saiyan, it wasn't enough. After all, his father and Vegeta were super saiyans and it hadn't saved them. So why did he keep fighting when he always lost? Why did the androids allow him to live? If they really wanted to, they could have killed him years ago. But then, where was the fun in that? Who else on the god forsaken Earth could stand against them? They were toying with him. Any idiot could see that! Yet, he played right into their games like a pawn. When would he realize that no matter how much he wanted to do the right thing that it'd never make a difference? It was the damnable saiyan in him that forced him to persevere, an animal instinct that urged him to continue fighting.

Gohan realized that everything he'd strived for had been for nothing… He couldn't save anyone, not Piccolo, not his father, or any of the others… not even Trunks… Now they were all dead except Bulma but eventually they'd get her too. He felt the edges of his psyche beginning to collapse as the darkness of doubt and self loathing descended upon him.

'_I've disappointed you father… I've failed everyone._'

Lighting streaked wickedly through the angry sky followed by a crescendo of thunder and as the first drops of rain began to fall Gohan wailed even when he knew they were laughing in spite of his misery. The androids had won again, stripped him of his family and his pride as a man. He had nothing left to live for.

He didn't care.

Gohan threw back his head and screamed, the force of his fury making the ground quake. The air around him cracked and fizzled, forming an impenetrable barrier between him and the torrential rains. The heat radiating from him was enough that his clothes began to singe and smolder. His own tears evaporated long before they had the chance to grace his cheeks. Still clutching the young man's prone form, Gohan resembled something like a star gone nova.

The ensuing cacophony was deafening and at the center of the maelstrom a new and terrible power was being born, the likes of which the universe had never seen before. Waves of immeasurable energy bled from him, wiping the landscape clean of anything that had lived or had once been alive within a 5 mile radius. The ground below, scarred by deepening cracks and fissures imploded at his feet, forming a giant crater that spread a quarter of a mile in every direction.

As it were, the awesome display that could possibly spell the destruction for all civilization had not gone unnoticed. Satellites orbiting the planet were meticulously trained on him, recording the actions of the universe's last great hero as he mourned the loss of a loved one.

The witness, possessing the most brilliant mind that humanity could offer sat in mute horror, her mind attempting to wrap around the happenings of that ill-fated day.

Bulma could scarcely believe what she was seeing but it sent chills down her spine and she had nary a moment to recollect herself before she felt the first wave of nausea. In an instant, she abandoned her vigil and bolted for the loo to empty the contents of her stomach.

Moments later it became apparent that the pandemonium had at last come to an end when the owner of such power began to tire. Physical and mental exhaustion were taking their toll on Gohan. The deadly energy that had only moments ago threatened to consume him and everything else began to ebb.

Stones as big as boulders descended from the heavens, colliding with the ground with thunderous succession that mingled with insanity of the storm.

Shivering in the chilling rain, Gohan sagged. The body he had held so securely felt as though it weighed a ton and he unwillingly released Trunks from his hold till the boy lay crumbled at his side. His whitened eyes faded to the familiar teal green and stiff white-gold spikes relaxed into a rich gold before fading into black altogether. Breathing raggedly he stared mournfully at the angry clouds then collapsed beside his dead friend, unconscious the instant his face struck the mud.

'Trunks is dead…'

With glazed eyes, Bulma stared numbly at the remains of her lunch swirling in the toilet bowl. She grimaced at the wretched taste of bile on her tongue and reached for the flush lever.

No mother ever wished to outlive her child but she knew it would happen one day. Trunks was as stubborn as his father when it came to the opportunity to fight. No matter how hard she tried to protect and persuade him to stay safe at home, he ignored her.

Bulma had no control of her son, simple as that. She could not change who or what he was nor could she deny him that right. It was in his blood and he responded to his instincts, regardless of how his mother felt.

Trunks was drawn to the Androids like a moth to a flame and though Gohan had tried to keep him out of it as Bulma had requested, he eventually gave in. She was well aware that the older boy had begun training her son and it showed in the marks and bruises that Trunks attempted to conceal. Bulma was no fool. She knew her son cared deeply for his mentor and how much it meant to him to be at his side in combat.

When Trunks was nearly killed during his first 'outing' with Gohan, She tried to draw the line but Trunks looked at her with such intensity in his gaze that for a moment she felt as though Vegeta was staring back at her. The little boy was gone and with words wise beyond his fourteen years told her he had to fight. He couldn't bear to see people suffering anymore. There weren't many left in the world who possessed the kind of power he did and he intended to use it for a just cause. It didn't seem fair that he should sit and do nothing.

Bulma knew in her heart she should have told him no but how could she? Trunks made a valid point but she selfishly wanted to keep him to herself. The world didn't need another martyr. The Androids weren't going to take it easy on him just because he was a child and she reminded him of that fact.

Nevertheless, Trunks remained adamant in his decision. His mother could scream till she was blue in the face but it'd do no good in the long run.

With a heavy heart, Bulma conceded though warned that if things got too hairy that he should make the smart decision and retreat, otherwise she'd be burying him too and that was not an option.

Bulma sighed, "If only I'd known how right I was…"

She could not have prepared herself enough for that fated day to come but in sensing that something was wrong she turned to her satellites to be her eyes. A part of her wished that she hadn't looked because of what she observed had induced her sickness, the result of which now occupied the toilet bowl.

It seemed cruel that she was unable to cry more than she had. Death had taken everyone she loved away from her and with each passing, part of her died with them. She had become hardened by her grief and had it not been for her son, Gohan, and Chichi's companionship (shocking as it may seem), Bulma would have lost herself long ago.

'But now…'

Bulma wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and rose shakily to her feet. She Swayed and gripped the towel rack to steady herself then leaned toward the sink to wash out her mouth.

"What'm I gonna do?" She sobbed into her hands.

Gohan had been her last hope. He was the last of his kind and supposedly the strongest but after so many years he was still no closer to defeating those monstrous androids than he was at the beginning of it all.

Bulma splashed cold water on her face and took a mouthful and swished, rinsed and spat. She repeated this process several times then proceeded to brush her teeth thoroughly. What she had witnessed through the satellite video link was grotesque and inhumane. Those twin bastards forced poor Trunks to watch has they violated his sensei and laughed even when her son had begged them to stop.

'_Forgive me for thinking this,'_ she thought to God (though she wasn't sure if one still existed after Kami). _'…but death is better than for Trunks to have lived and suffered from the trauma…'_

She sniffled, stifling a broken sob and toweled her face dry. How Gohan managed to survive such unspeakable torment was beyond her comprehension. As much as she would have liked to hole herself in her room and drink herself into a stupor, she couldn't live with the thought of leaving Gohan if he was still alive.

With every remaining vestige of her resolve, Bulma began to prepare herself to make the harrowing journey to collect her son and dear friend. If she delayed herself too long, then the androids might return and do something else horrible and if the end of the world had finally come then the least she could do was give Trunks a proper burial.

More than ever, Bulma missed Vegeta and wondered if he felt the same (though he wouldn't dare admit it). She hoped that eventually they'd be reunited in the afterlife but her time had yet to come. Perhaps soon she could finally be at peace but for now there was work to be done. Managing a smile, she hurried to her quarters and gathered several capsules from her bedside table, all of which contained emergency kits, and transport vehicles.

It took an hour's flight to reach the coordinates her GPS had indicated and when she descended from the storm clouds she was appalled by the sheer magnitude of destruction. Though innumerable major cities had sustained a severe amount of damage through the years, what she found was complete and utter devastation. Where Summerville once stood, a massive crater existed in its place and there was only one man on earth that could have done this and he lay at the center of it all.

Mindful of the wind and rain, Bulma expertly guided her plane to the ground several meters away from the mouth of the crater. Unbuckling herself, she reached behind her seat for her rain coat and slipped it on, hesitating for only a moment to listen to the rain pelting the roof of her twelve seat copter.

Her legs trembled fiercely when she stood and it took every ounce of courage she could muster to continue forward. She didn't want to see them like this… She never wanted it to be like this at all. It wasn't right that this had become her sole responsibility. No one ever seemed to be around when she needed them most and more then ever she felt completely alone.

"Why did you have to die?" she hissed through clenched teeth. "If you were here everything would have been better! We could've kept this from happening! You knew I wasn't strong enough but you died anyway!"

Fueled by her anger Bulma approached the hatch and popped it open with the flip of a switch. She was immediately welcomed by a violent gust of cold, wet wind spraying in her face and she took a step back.

"No. You have to do this," she growled.

Bulma forced herself forward through the stinging rain, slipping once then twice but never slowing her pace. Hugging herself, she squinted in the dreary gray haze, bent against the howling gales and approached the source of all the damage. Hair stuck in dark tendrils to her face and neck and she tried in vain to wipe them away but it soon proved a lost cause. _'Some good this coat did… I'm already soaked to the bone!'_

The crater yawned before her like a monster and she gulped, suddenly afraid. It was much bigger up close than it was from the sky but visibility was low and she'd clearly misjudged its scale. Feeling a little paranoid, she glanced behind her, half expecting the androids to come leaping out to murder her. Thankfully, nothing came and she was grateful although she doubted she'd hear them with all the noise not to mention their imperceptible ki.

She shook her head, refusing to allow herself to be so negative. _'No intelligent person would be out in this kind of weather!'_

Shivering, she peered over the edge and realized the crater was far steeper than she originally assumed. Fortunately, she knew a better way than to risk climbing down unassisted. She reached into her jacket pocket and desperately wished that Mother Nature would lighten the hell up on the weather.

Her silent pleas were to no avail as she fished in her pocket for her hover craft capsule. Recognizing the roughness of the pill shaped device against her fingertips, she pulled it free, pressed the flat button on top and tossed it to the ground with a muted boom. Without hesitation she leapt aboard, flicked on the head light and with a rev of the engine, began her descent.

Bulma gripped the handlebars securely as she searched the area of the rising sludge, glad that the depth of the crater kept some of the wind at bay. "GOHAN!" she called, then mentally slapped herself._ 'He's unconscious you idiot! He's not going to hear you!'_

"Woah!" her head beam caught something distinctly red partially submerged in the rising water. She swallowed the knot in her throat and drew closer, flipping on the flood lights to have a better look. Her eyes widened when the familiar form of a man lying prostrate in the mud appeared. "GOHAN!" She shrieked her voice cracking.

She ground to a halt with the engine still running and scrambled overboard. She grabbed the young man, fearing that she was too late and that he'd drowned. With a grunt she rolled him over and checked his neck for a pulse. "YATTA!" she cried, relieved to feel a slow but steady heart beat.

Alas, her excitement was short-lived when her thoughts immediately turned to the fate of her son. "Trunks?" She looked all around her, eyes wild with fright. "TRUNKS?!" She turned, hair whipping her face and froze.

"T-Trunks…"

What she saw by satellite did not do justice to the sheer brutality that lead to her son's untimely death… Though water had deluded it greatly, Trunks lay in what was obviously blood, his blood.

Good God, there was so much of it.

Bulma covered her mouth to stifle her scream at the gaping hole in Trunks' midsection 'No.' She thought, bile rising in her throat for a second time that day. She inched closer on her knees and heaved but nothing came.

"Gh..nhgh… kh.gn…NnnnN-NO…NONONONOOOOOOOO!" She lurched forth and threw herself upon him, and howled like a madwoman.

………………

………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Recording message in two seconds

…

…

Message begin

The time is O' eight hundred hours, Month of June, day eighteen, year seven seventy-four A D.

_Gohan, I have an important message for you._

_While you were unconscious I examined you and made this recording so if you're wondering how I found the time to do all of what I'm about to tell you, this is why. _

_Do you remember the time machine you helped me build? Well, I finished it a lot sooner than expected. I had a sense that things were going to take a turn for the worst. You were so busy training and working with Trunks that you never took notice. I wanted so much to tell you the good news but I was compelled to remain silent for reasons such as this._

……

_I thought that after all we've been through I was ready for this but when it came time to face reality, to say that I was 'prepared' for the situation is quite an understatement. We all think we have what it takes to stand up to anything, that we have control of our destinies. _

…_As much as I'd like to believe that Son Kun was invincible it seemed ironic that something as insignificant as a virus would result in his death. Neither of us expected it. After all, we were prepared for battle, not for a funeral. _

…_Nh...hn……_

_That day……_

_It was so surreal… _

…_Hghk..._

…………………

…………………………………

_Time seemed to stand still... you know? _

………………

_I keep asking myself… Had I known would I have had the power to stop it?_

_...Ngh..hh…k…C- Could I have created the cure in time to save him? _

……………

_Before Goku died, I took several blood and tissue samples from him in hope that I could find a cure and after slaving in my lab for what seemed like an eternity, I eventually did. Sadly, the medication that could have saved his life was invented a year too late but I never stopped dreaming about the possibilities._

_Suddenly, I was struck by an idea! With the Time Machine completed and the cure in my possession, one of us could travel back in time to rescue him!_

_I wanted Trunks to go for me because the last thing anyone needs is another 'me' running around. It might create some kind of weird time paradox, God only knows. If he went, then he could meet with Goku before the androids and give him the medicine. Then maybe his life would be spared. _

_As you can see… those plans never took flight… _

_I'm sure you've realized the extent of your injuries by now but I won't go into details because it'll only sound worse than it is and I know you've got enough on your mind. The important thing is, all your organs are functional and I've cleaned and bandaged your external wounds as well as setting your dislocated shoulder back into place._

_X-rays revealed that your left arm was all but shattered to bits but I did what I could to reset the bones before dressing the cast. Considering how quickly you heal, thanks to your saiyajin physiology, I suggest you keep the cast on for the duration of the two weeks. Physical therapy will help later on so try to move it as much as you can to keep it limber. I'm afraid that you may never regain full use of it without a sensu bean so I'll pray that you can find one there to alleviate your potential disability._

…_I'm…_

_sigh …… _

…_I'm so sorry that you've had to go through so much… I wish I could have done something to make them stop. You are as chivalrous as your father and oftentimes I wonder if that has become your curse. The both of you give so much of yourselves without asking for anything in return._

_You've made so many sacrifices for my son and I can't begin to say how blessed I am to have had you in his life. You were more a father to him than a brother or a friend… _

…_guh… damn it, I wish I'd stop crying……_

_but I can't help it…_

_ngh…nhnn…_

_N-now, you're probably wondering when and where in history you are so I won't delay further._

_blows nose and clears throat_

_I've sent you to July twenty-ninth, seven sixty A.D., the point in time two weeks before Goku's arrival from planet Yardrat. That should give you time to heal and find help to defeat Freiza if you haven't found any sensu beans by then. _

_When you have a chance to speak with Goku, tell him about the androids so that he and the others will know what to expect. Goku's medication is in the little glove box below the Time Machine's main console. Make sure he gets it and that he takes it at the first signs of chest pain. The heart virus has to be at full maturity in order for the medicine to do its magic. I've supplied you with several bottles just in case but you should only give it to him twice a day, morning and night for seven days._

_I've supplied you all your belongings, which are also located in the glove box along with some information that I want you to give to my other self when the time is right. You'll know when. I've attached an encrypted note for her so she'll be able to make sense of it all. _

_You should find everything you need in the capsules I've provided you, including my entire life savings. Don't act shocked. You deserve every last cent of it. Besides, I won't need it where I'm going and I want to die knowing you're financially secure._

…_Now, for the bad news……_

_By the time you've heard this you will already be gone and I… _

…… _I will already be dead. _

_Now don't be upset. There is no one left to defend this planet and the androids are so close now that it is only a matter of time that my life too will come to an end. I intend to die honorably rather than wait for them to arrive. Don't worry. When I've passed, I will be in a good place, high above the hell of earth in heaven with my son. I might even see Goku and I promise to send him and Chichi your love! _

……

…………

_Please don't blame yourself for what happened to Trunks. You did what you could, to the best of your abilities… Once I realized that I could have lost you too, I took matters into my own hands._

_The future of the past is secure in your knowledge of what will come in the next three years. _

_I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me. I know you'll thank me later for sending you to the past in my stead… _

……………………_._

……………………………………………_._

_Everyone has their moment of glory and my time to make a stand has finally come._

_It's my turn to be the hero now. _

_You're getting a second chance. _

_Make the best of it and remember…_

_I'll always love you._

End of Message

………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………

To Be Continued…


	2. Piccolo's Dilemma

"In The End"

"In The End"

Chapter 2

**July 29, 760 AD.**

The Great Kami, God of Earth, sat gingerly upon the white stone tiles of the sacred lookout and laid his gnarled staff across his lap. "Hmm." He ran his aged hands along its grooved surface, silky smooth from many centuries of use.

His wrinkled brow creased as he thought, _'How many times have I sat like this? Too many to count at this point… Here at the edge of my home the vantage of the Earth is best. Perhaps it is this very reason why I am drawn to it.'_ He sighed heavily through his nose. _'Its beauty never ceases to steal my breath away.'_

His sensitive ears pricked at the gentle sound of footsteps and he craned his head to greet his faithful consort. "Ah. Good morning Mister Popo! I was just enjoying the warmth of the sun. Care to join me?"

The ebony skinned genie bowed and smiled. "It is a fine day… I would love to." He crouched beside the elderly Namek and rested comfortably upon his knees. He paused to bask in the morning rays then adjusted his turban anxiously, "I sensed there was something on your mind."

Kami chuckled, "You're so attuned to me, my friend. But if you must ask, then yes, there is something…" He cast his gaze to the blue-green planet below. "There has been a disruption in the balance of this plane. It was only for an instant like ripples in a pond. Piccolo sensed it as well. Whatever it is it had enough impact that he broke his daily meditation to find it."

Popo nodded. "It must be important then."

"I cannot tell at this point but it seems that whatever it may be is connected to him…us… something distinctly familiar but that I can't quite place my finger on."

"Is it something evil, sir?"

Kami shook his head. "I have a feeling it isn't and I trust my instincts enough. The reason for my alarm is that I've never felt this before. I am aware of every being living on the planet and yet this has suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Until now, it didn't exist."

"How can something nonexistent exist, sir?"

"My thoughts exactly..." Kami raised his cane erect at his side and attempted to rise only to find his hips and knees groaning in protest. "Nhg-Hah hah! Now I know why I stopped doing this! I'm afraid these old bones just aren't what they used to be."

"Oh dear, let me help!" The spry Popo hurried to gather his mentor against his side, looping a thick arm around his middle and pulling him easily to his feet. "Should I prepare some medicinal tea for your rheumatism, sir?"

"It would do, yes thank you."

Popo hesitated. "…should I…?"

Kami waved him off, "I'll be with you shortly. Just give me a moment." He closed his eyes and bowed his head as if in prayer. Tentatively, he gave a mental nudge to his younger counterpart and received a gruff response.

'_What is it old man?'_

Kami cringed at the insult and decided it that it was better to say nothing in retort lest he provoke the lad's short temper further. _'I'm concerned about this force we've felt. Are you able to pinpoint its origin?'_

……

…………………………

There was a moment of silence before Piccolo gave a derisive snort. _'Tch! …Nothing that concerns you!'_

'_It is my concern. Have you forgotten that I have a responsibility to the people?' _The elder Namekian ground out. _'I'm concerned about the balan-'_

'_**IT ISN'T FAR**__ from where I've taken residence,'_ Piccolo interrupted. _'…maybe seven kilometers from it…'_

'_Any relations as to who or what it may be?'_

'_Don't know that yet, but I'll keep you posted.' _

'………'

'……_So get the fuck out of my head already.'_

'_As you wish…'_

……

Piccolo was quite relieved when he felt Kami's touch recede from his consciousness. He never did appreciate the old geezer being able to barge into his head whenever he pleased. Alas, it was the consequence of their origin as one man, the true demon king Piccolo who more or less spat him up while in the throes of death. In other words, the demon king was his father and that made Piccolo the nephew of Kami. Somehow or other, being the offspring of the demon king still made him half of Kami, which is why they share such an intricate bond.

He shook his head. It was all so dreadfully confusing. The point is the last thing Piccolo needed was the old God asking questions about something that he himself didn't understand. It had only been a few minutes since he first sensed the unusual presence and if he didn't think it was important he wouldn't have taken the effort to seek it out.

He sighed irritably, "…Never a dull moment…"

…

……

_They lingered in the shadows, the faint din of a wind chime the only sound resonating through the empty streets. Slanted eyes as piercing as a cloudless sapphire sky glimmered with morbid satisfaction. Thin lips widened into twin grins as neither could restrain their jovial laughter. _

_Gohan stumbled clumsily, shattering the perfect still with such a clamor anyone who stubbornly remained in town would have emerged to look. _

"_How entertaining..." They mused. _

_One would think that after all this time he would have learned that struggling was useless. But where was the fun in that? They had to give him credit. The man possessed a remarkable will to live, inextinguishable, and violently addictive to their sadistic cravings._

"_LET HIM GO!" Gohan shouted._

_Eighteen appeared at the edge of a rooftop, the wind catching the golden locks of her hair. She tucked a silken strand behind one ear and smiled, "And what if we don't?"_

_He spat blood, "He's only a boy. Your fight is with me. You know he isn't a threat so why continue using him just to get at me?"_

"_Because we enjoy making you and your loved ones suffer..."a voice replied from behind him._

_Gohan spun on his heels only to realize too late that he'd lead himself straight into Seventeen's awaiting fist. He fell hard on his back, unconscious before he hit the ground. _

_The raven haired android smirked, "Opse." He nudged the man sprawled at his feet with the toe of his sneaker. "Walked right into that one…"_

_Eighteen leapt from her perch, eyeing her twin in annoyance, "Is the boy alive?"_

_Seventeen smiled gently and extended an index finger at Gohan. He fired several strategically aimed ki bands to make extra sure he didn't try to escape again and finally acknowledged his sister, "Barely..."_

_Eighteen twirled her finger viciously 'round a strand of hair with an unsatisfied growl._

_Seventeen crouched beside their fallen adversary, "Do you really think you could run away from us?"He frowned when he didn't receive a response and punched the guy in the face with an audible crack._

"_You beat him too hard," Eighteen complained. "I want him conscious enough to watch…"_

"_Don't get your panties in a twist. He's still breathing though I can't promise he will be for very long…"_

"…_Long enough?" Eighteen questioned._

_Seventeen nodded._

"_Nn…Ngh…"_

_Eighteen laughed, "Aw, he's waking up…"_

"_Quite resilient," Seventeen agreed._

_Gohan tugged futilely at the ki bands keeping him bound to the asphalt. He was having difficulty seeing out of his left eye and he felt something warm on his face. He licked his lips and the metallic taste of blood was sharp on his tongue. Shit, what had he gotten himself into now?_

"_mm… Persistent isn't he?" She toed Gohan's chin and raised his face to look up at her. "Are you that eager to die?" She kicked him and he gasped, which only made her laugh more. She dug her boot heel into his sternum, delighting in his desperate struggles._

_Gohan wheezed, the pressure on his chest making it impossible to breathe. He tried in vain to move but bound by both his wrists and ankles made escape unfeasible._

"_Seems to be having a little trouble…," Seventeen snickered._

_Eighteen dug her heel a little harder, twisting as she did so. "Well, since we have him where we want him, why not have a little fun?" She lifted her foot and Gohan gasped in relief, greedily sucking air into his oxygen starved lungs. _

_Seventeen returned his attention to the teenager held to a building opposite of them and fisted a handful of lavender hair. "I want you to learn what we do to people who give us trouble… So sit back, have a little fun, and don't die… It'd be a pity to see you drown in your own blood before we have a chance to do you too…" He sneered. _

_Moaning pitifully, Trunks sagged against the wall he was restrained to. "G-hk –KAFF-…Go…han…" He tugged at his wrists helplessly though he was clearly unable to free himself much like his mentor._

_Seventeen cupped the boy's face and leaned close to lick a trail of tears from his cheek. "Mm, I love the taste of misery, so sweet."_

_Trunks' eyes slipped closed, a crimson stream of saliva oozing from the corner of his mouth, "P-Please…"_

"_P-Please," Seventeen mocked in a whiney voice._

"_Tch-heh, you're so sick," Eighteen teased. "Now come on. I don't have all day you know… Keep wasting my time and I'll start without you!"_

_The raven haired android abandoned the teenager and returned his attention to Gohan. "Me first…"_

…

……

'_Wh- what was that?'_

The sound of glass shattering startled Chichi out of her reverie as her attention was diverted from washing the dishes to her son. "GOHAN!! How many times have I told you to be gentle with the dishes?! That's the third glass you've broken today!!"

Gohan shivered, staring at the tiny shards in his hands and lowered his head in shame. "Sorry Mom…I …I don't know why…There's so much I've been thinking about…"

"Oh, my poor boy!" Chichi dried her hands and hurried to the end of the table facing the front door. She embraced her son's head, his face against her chest and crooned, "My poor poor child! You study so much I bet you dream about it!! My, what an intelligent boy I've raised! I bet it's those exams that's got you all upset, isn't it?"

Gohan blushed, squirming in her grip. "Mom, it's not that," was his muffled reply.

Chichi quieted and relinquished her hold on him. "Well, then what is it?" She rushed back to the sink and reached into the cupboard underneath it for the whisk broom, then hurried back to sweep up the glass.

"I don't know… I feel really weird..."

"Are you getting sick?!" Chichi shrieked.

"No ma! I feel fine!"

His mother gave an exasperated sigh. "Goodness! I just don't know about you anymore! Your head is always up in the clouds! You aren't focused enough and I blame that on your father and that evil Piccolo's influence!!"

Gohan rolled his eyes. "No mom. It's not that. I'm doing fine… It's just that I think I had a dream only that I was awake and it just happened. I think I had a vision or something... There were these two people and someone with purple hair…"

Chichi gawked at her son like he'd suddenly grown a second head. "You honestly can't expect me to believe that you're having visions?! You're hardly delusional Gohan, it's just that you've been watching entirely too much of that anime stuff on television at night… You've haven't had enough rest! …Always wanting to train and work and play and do everything but what you're supposed to! Think about your GPA! How do you expect to get into a prestigious college with all this nonsense about visions and training! You aren't a super hero Gohan! You're just a child and I won't have you turning into a Karate Bum like that ungrateful father of yours!"

Gohan clenched his teeth, "……"

Chichi huffed in frustration and emptied the contents of the dustpan into the trash bin. "You should take a nap and in the mean time I'll prepare you a hot cup of ginseng tea with honey. Would you like that?"

Gohan nodded solemnly.

"Alright then, to your room, I'll take care of the glass on the table. After you've rested enough I want you getting back to your calculus like a good boy."

"……"

Chichi pointed to the hall, "MARCH!"

"Yes mother." Gohan rose sluggishly from the table and went to his room without another word.

...

……

Piccolo ran his hands along the yellow hull of the domed craft. He had been hesitant to approach it at first, learning from personal experience that alien space crafts never meant well. Nevertheless, his curiosity got the best of him (and since no one else was around) he decided it was better to see it up close for himself rather than to rush to conclusions.

He eyed the word "HOPE" scrawled in the paint. 'So whoever it is can speak English. That's a relief…"

"Mmmnnnnngh..."

Piccolo nearly leapt out of skin at the ghostly moan emanating from within the craft, "What the?!" He levitated to peer through the thick dome of glass at the being swaddled in a patchwork quilt. He released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. _'Shit… It's only a human! Tch, I was half expecting someone like Freiza to come tearing out of there… So what the fuck is a human doing in something like this?'_

He frowned at the swollen left eye and array of bandages on the face around the individual's wild head of hair. _'Looks like he's had the shit beat out of 'im…'_

Piccolo tapped the glass to see if it elicited a response and was pleased to find the man open his one good eye. "Hey, you okay?"

The man continued to stare at him as if he hadn't registered what Piccolo said and closed his eye.

Piccolo growled. "HEY!" He pounded the glass with his fist. "Wake the fuck up and answer me!"

The man woke again and looked around him in confusion. "Nn…" His brows furrowed as his mind began to process his surroundings and without thinking he attempted to rise, "NnnnMmm…nh…ah-AAIEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAaHHH!!" The blanket fell away from the man's torso as he screamed, revealing the severity of his injuries.

Piccolo gripped his ringing ears at the blood curdling sound. _'God Damn, every inch of him is covered!'_

The stranger continued to holler and cry, much to the chagrin of Piccolo's abused ears, till the sheer agony of his wounds forced him back into a blissful state of unconsciousness.

…

…

Piccolo shook his head, grateful for the silence. "Hn. Looking like that I don't blame you for the racket… SO what kind of mess did you get yourself into anyway?" Not expecting a reply he began searching for a way to open the hatch.

He circled the craft, eyes darting to the figure within then back to his quest for entry. After several minutes of searching his patience had grown thin and he would have taken great pleasure in simply plowing his fist through the glass. But, he didn't wish to risk injuring the stranger further.

He was suddenly jerked to a halt when the edge of his cape snagged a vertical piece of metal protruding from the hull that he hadn't noticed before. He leaned back, studying the hull a foot below and tugged his cape free.

"Yes!" He kicked the raised lever, chastising himself for not having seen it initially and moved away as the dome sprung open with a hiss of pressurized air.

The stranger did not stir for which the namekian demi-god was grateful.

Hastily, Piccolo flew up to hover above the man, finding a narrow space alongside the chair-turned-bed that the man lay on and lowered himself to stand beside him. He breathed heavily, unable to understand why he felt such a rush of anxiety. There was something familiar about this man and that feeling continued to grow upon closer inspection.

'_He's hurt bad, worse than I could have imagined…_'

Piccolo proceeded to unfold the blanket, understandably curious. What he saw was no different from his upper half and aside from the monstrous amount of bandaging, the man was clothed. Whoever cared for him had spared the young man his dignity by dressing him in a familiar pair of red-orange pants, which reminded him of-

His breath caught in his throat.

THAT WAS IT! THAT WAS WHY THIS MAN LOOKED SO FAMILIAR!! HE LOOKED SAIYAJIN! But clearly he wasn't Goku. Piccolo had known the buffoon all his life and would have recognized him at first glance. Nevertheless, the stranger's appearance, despite the wrappings, was undeniably that of son Goku though the hairstyle wasn't the same.

'_Another wayward brother perhaps…? Hopefully nothing like Radditz…_' he shuddered, the memories of that encounter still raw in his mind.

Now if he could just prove his assumption by finding a tail… He uncovered the man completely, making sure not to stir him lest he risk another round of deafening cries.

eeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Piccolo's hands flew to his ears and he stumbled back against the console behind him, nearly falling head first overboard. He managed to catch himself but that left his hearing vulnerable to the attack.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

"FUCK!" he roared, covering his ears again only after he'd regained some of his balance. The pressure of his palms did little to assuage the skull shattering pain. He swayed drunkenly, his equilibrium suffering from the assault, 'Where the fuck is it coming from?!'

He quickly found the cause of all the noise located beneath the console where a red LED bulb glowed. He struck it, altogether extinguishing the light and sound.

Immediately, he fell to his knees and sagged against the side of the reclined chair the stranger occupied, wondering what the hell he'd ever done to deserve this. Here he was, playing hero for the greater good of Earth and this is what he got in return.

"Uuhooh…" Piccolo moaned, pressing his face into an exposed part of the seat cushion. Why did his weakness have to be his ears? His head throbbed in succession to his heartbeat and he wondered idly if his healing ability could cure migraines as well. Only time would tell but in-

"GKSsssssHHkk." The sound of static interrupted his thoughts, soon followed by a woman's voice.

The time is O' eight hundred hours, Month of June, day eighteen, year seven seventy-four A D.

_Gohan, I have an important message for you._

Piccolo froze.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	3. Me, Myself, and Piccolo

"In The End"

**Chapter 3**

"Me, Myself, and Piccolo"

Stunned could not even begin to describe Piccolo's reaction as the woman's voice he recognized to be Bulma's acknowledged the wounded man as Gohan.

_I've sent you to July twenty-ninth, seven sixty A.D., the point in time two weeks before Goku's arrival from planet Yardrat. That should give you time to heal and find help to defeat Freiza if you haven't found any senzu beans by then. _

He stared slack jawed at the source of the recording then back at Gohan. Holy shit, Frieza still lived!? But why hadn't Goku thought to return when they'd summoned him with the dragon balls? If he'd known that bastard was alive, what stopped him from finishing him off?

Piccolo craned his head, sensing the changes in the woman's tone of voice. The emotions and the conviction of her words rang true. She wasn't lying.

It disturbed him, hearing news of a future without Goku and of the deaths of everyone including his own. Worst news of all though was that Frieza had lived and would soon arrive on Earth. He stroked his chin. '_She trusts that he can defend this planet on his own. He is super saiyan after all, right? That would be the only way... Nnngh, and what is all this nonsense about this son of hers named Trunks and what was this source of doom that she risked sending a half dead man in her stead? Was it really __**that**__ bad? Freiza must be like stealing candy from a baby compared to these guys…_' He staved the urge to shudder at the thought of a world thrust into utter chaos.

_When you have a chance to speak with Goku, tell him about the androids so that he and the others will know what to expect._

"_Androids…"_ He swallowed nervously, keeping his mind clear so that he didn't miss any important details.

_Goku's medication is in the little glove box below the Time Machine's main console. Make sure he gets it and that he takes it at the first signs of chest pain. The heart virus has to be at full maturity in order for the medicine to do its magic. I've supplied you with several bottles just in case but you should only give it to him twice a day, morning and night for seven days._

_I've supplied you all your belongings, which are also located in the glove box along with some information that I want you to give to my other self when the time is right. You'll know when. I've attached an encrypted note for her so she'll be able to make sense of it all. _

_You should find everything you need in the capsules I've provided you, including my entire life savings. Don't act shocked. You deserve every last cent of it. Besides, I won't need it where I'm going and I want to die knowing you're financially secure._

…_Now, for the bad news……_

Piccolo flinched, '_More bad news_?' Was the heart virus and the fate of mankind not enough? He shook his head sadly.

_By the time you've heard this you will already be gone and I… _

…… _I will already be dead._

_Now don't be upset._

Piccolo huffed. '_That's an understatement._'

_There is no one left to defend this planet and the androids are so close now that it is only a matter of time that my life too will come to an end. I intend to die honorably rather than wait for them to arrive. Don't worry. When I've passed, I will be in a good place, high above the hell of earth in heaven with my son. I might even see Goku and I promise to send him and Chichi your love!_

He glanced over his shoulder to see if future Gohan had stirred but the man remained blissfully unaware of the message that had originally been meant for him. His heart sank guiltily at having stolen the remaining vestige of Gohan's timeline.

The Namekian mentally slapped himself. "_Consider this a blessing!! Do you realize how traumatizing this would be for him, coming to terms with all that has transpired and then to be informed that Bulma intended to take her own life as well!? I can break it to him gently and perhaps, save it for him to replay later on._'

……

…………

_Please don't blame yourself for what happened to Trunks. You did what you could, to the best of your abilities… Once I realized that I could have lost you too, I took matters into my own hands._

_The future of the past is secure in your knowledge of what will come in the next three years. _

_I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me. I know you'll thank me later for sending you to the past in my stead… _

……………………_._

……………………………………………_._

_Everyone has their moment of glory and my time to make a stand has finally come._

_It's my turn to be the hero now. _

_You're getting a second chance. _

_Make the best of it and remember…_

_I'll always love you._

Piccolo propped his elbows on his knees, clenching and unclenching his fists. He removed his turban and scratched at an imaginary itch on his forehead.

A quote he'd read in a book long ago surfaced in his mind: "Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony". Yes, to be the one to stumble upon this 'time machine' containing an adult version of Gohan and the prediction of a grim future was indeed an act of irony. Perhaps it had been intentional. After all, Bulma was a genius and she rarely did anything without purpose. She would not have done it all had she thought Gohan was incapable of fulfilling such an arduous task.

"Hmm..."

There had to be more than mere human intervention to have allowed an inconceivable device like a time machine to be created. The Gods often influenced mortals in order to repair the calamities of their actions. Perhaps this was their way of ensuring the retribution of the human race against the vile creations known only as the 'androids'.

"This is all so much to grasp at once," Piccolo ascertained. "I'll have to meditate and consider my words wisely… As for you…" He regarded his injured companion. "I cannot comprehend the extent of your suffering. I can only try and do my best to alleviate your pain and we can start with that senzu she hoped you'd receive. Let's pray that Korrain has a few to spare."

Returning his turban to his head he rose unsteadily from the cramped space he'd wedged himself into and searched for the aforementioned glove box. To his surprise, the device popped open on cue. "How convenient," he muttered. "That woman's flawless timing never ceases to amaze me."

He stooped to rummage through the compartment's contents, pleased to discover that nothing was in disarray and all contained neatly inside a cloth pull-string bag. He removed it from its safekeeping and motioned to fasten it to his waistband when he was interrupted by a woman's mechanized response.

Items have been securely distributed and stored. This vehicle will proceed to self destruct in 60 seconds.

Apparently Piccolo had spoken too soon. Perfect timing indeed… "SHIT."

Count down will now begin….

Sixty…

Fifty-nine…

Fifty-eight…

Fifty seven…

Lucky for him that he was there or Gohan may have been in some serious trouble. What the hell was that woman thinking anyway?! Self destruct? Yet again, irony had reared its ugly head.

Forty-nine

Forty-eight…

He swore some more and hurried to tie the bag to his waistband then gathered Gohan, blanket and all into his arms. "What possessed her to do this? Security precautions, is that it?"

The seconds ticked by.

Forty-one….

Forty…

Thirty-nine…

There was no reply and the exasperated Namekian didn't wait to receive one. He took flight and didn't bother to look back when moments later the land below him was shaken by the subsequent explosion. He was more worried about his precious cargo and getting him to safety.

'_Forgive me for prying but I share your concern and suggest you bring him here_,' an elderly voice echoed. '_I have already alerted Korrain and Mr. Popo is preparing one of the guest rooms._'

Piccolo nodded approvingly, '_I had every intention to do so_.'

--

Kami paced nervously.

"Perhaps you should take a seat, Kami," his feline companion suggested.

"I am anxious about this newcomer," the Earth god said quickly. "I realize that there are many things in this world we do not understand but I have never heard of a human accomplishing the feat of time travel before."

Korrain tapped his staff to punctuate his statement, "True. I too was under the impression that the only means of time travel were with the room of time kept here at the look out."

"Yes," I used it as a means of training the young men Tien, Yamcha, and Chouzu in preparation for the saiyans. There is also the hyperbolic time chamber."

"That too," Korrain confirmed. "Nevertheless, I am delighted at this discovery especially by Bulma of all people."

"Yes, yes…" Kami fiddled with his robes. "I regretfully spied on Piccolo's thoughts when he wasn't focusing so much on keeping me out. I listened with him to the message and relayed it to you."

Korrain nodded. "I propose that we keep this information to ourselves. I have a feeling that there is still much we've yet to find out about this alternate Gohan. If he were to cross paths with anyone of his family, the repercussions may be catastrophic."

"THEY'RE HERE!" Mr. Popo shouted from the rooftop. He swooped down on his flying carpet to join the two Gods' sides.

There was a collective gasp as Piccolo touched down, revealing the startling reality of the injuries the demi saiyan had sustained.

"Good lord," Popo exclaimed. "He looks worse than I feared!"

"He needs to be given a senzu, NOW." Piccolo demanded.

Kami approached the younger Namekian and clasped his shoulder. "Let's brings him to a bed first so that he'll be comfortable."

Piccolo's eyes narrowed and Kami removed his hand, "Fine."

"Greetings, Piccolo," said the cat god. "You seem to be doing well."

A grunt was his only response. Korrain eyed the Namekian's elder half, '…Hasn't changed much since the last we met, I see.'

Kami chuckled light heartedly, "No. …Same old Piccolo…"

"Cut the small talk," Piccolo barked from behind them. "Show me which room."

Mr. Popo hopped down from his carpet and in a flash of sparks the magical rug blinked out of existence. "It's the first door on the left. We felt the second floor may not be so easy for him with his injuries… But…" He checked to see if Kami and Korrain were following and lead him to the door.

The room was clean and simple, which Piccolo preferred and he went to the double bed centered against the far wall. His surroundings looked vaguely familiar, the ornate bed post, white linens, heavy crimson comforter. These were likely stray memories left behind from his previous life before Kami shunned him away.

Popo folded back the covers and stepped away, watching worriedly as Piccolo laid Gohan down. "Is he all right?"

The caped Namekian didn't answer.

"Let me see him." Korrain rested his short staff against the foot of the bed and jumped up to have a closer inspection of their guest. "Ah…" he said gravely, his whiskers twitching. "He was in a battle for his life and nearly lost…"

"The Senzu," Piccolo ground out.

"Be patient," Korrain scolded then snapped his fingers and produced the restorative legume. "I never intended to delay this on purpose. I am only eager to see into his mind and find out for myself what happened." He tilted Gohan's face up and lowered his jaw enough so that his lips were parted. He pressed a clawed finger down on his tongue then dropped the bean into his mouth then proceeded to pinch Gohan's nose and stroked his throat to coax him to swallow. His patience was soon rewarded by the reflexive bob of the saiyan's Adams Apple.

"There. …it should only take a … Ah… heheh it. It's already working... See?" He mused, motioning to the fading bruises and diminished swelling of his left eye. The ivory feline grinned much like his fabled Cheshire predecessor. "Now, if you give me a moment I will do what I can to delve into his memories. All I require is a brief moment of silence."

Patience was the one thing that Piccolo often had plenty of but today was a different story. This was Gohan they were dealing with, someone he held dear to him. He watched the cat God's ears flick side to front like tiny radars, head bowed in concentration.

An eerie silence permeated the room and the three witnesses stood stock still, watching, waiting, and hoping that Korrain would have an answer.

Resisting the urge to growl, Piccolo folded his arms to hide the anxious tremble in his hands and hoped that no one noticed.

"It's worse than I imagined," the feline finally said then placed a paw flat upon Gohan's stomach.

Kami's brows shot up, "Wh-What are you doing?"

"…Knowing who and what he is…" Korrain said caustically, "It doesn't come as a surprise but it's something that he's not yet aware of. What happened to him occurred only a day before…"

Piccolo twitched, "Well, get on with it."

Kami gripped the neck of his cane and nodded in agreement.

Korrain regarded his audience with a remarkable air of calm. "This young man is pregnant."

"WHAT?!" both Popo and Kami cried at once.

Piccolo felt a chill run down his spine and his cry of exclamation froze on his lips. He disguised the prevailing tremor in his hands by folding his left hand under his right armpit and using the other to stroke his chin as if in deep thought. He remained where he stood, pondering this strange news and how it was possible.

"It shouldn't come as a surprise to you…"

Piccolo snapped from his daze to realize that Korrain had spoken to him and leveled his gaze met with the cat's yellow almond shaped eyes.

"Namekians are an all-male race," Korrain continued. "…and are able to couple with one another as well as reproduce asexually."

Blood rushed to Piccolo's face, turning his emerald skin a delightful shade of violet.

Kami nodded, not denying that this was true and acknowledged his younger self. "He is correct. You of all people should know that. The Demon King Piccolo, your father, gave birth to a clone of himself just before he died and you were the result. So it doesn't seem all that odd that a Saiyan from a primarily male race has the ability to conceive like a woman."

Piccolo wore an expression that said he wasn't pleased with this discovery. He let his hands fall to his sides, knuckles pale from clenching them so hard. "So what you're getting at is that he was raped."

Popo's hands flew to his mouth, horrified at Piccolo's accusation.

The grim faced Earth god drew his staff close to his body as if it were the only force that held him upright and he said slowly. "Is this true?"

Korrain's nodded his head. "From what I've observed in his mind, yes… and he's not just carrying one, but two."

Piccolo's insides gave a sharp twist, "Twins…"

"Twins," Popo echoed. "Th-that poor young man, how could anyone do such a terrible thing?!"

"Someone without a soul," was Kami's quiet response.

Korrain went to the end of the bed and recovered his short staff before hopping down. "I recently spoke with King Kai and we did a great deal of research on Saiyans after that whole incident with Nappa and Vegeta. We felt that the information would help us later on if we should be confronted by more of them later on." He looked up at the much taller Piccolo. "An interesting fact is that the reason I can even sense the infants this early in his term is because the Saiyan gestation is much shorter than a human's. Saiyans are a warrior race and pregnancy is considered a weakness, therefore a normal term is four months give or take a few weeks. It may be different for Gohan because he IS a hybrid though it's obvious the saiyan genome dominates his weaker human half."

"Then what should be done?" posited Kami.

"I suggest not telling him about this right away until we're aware of his mental state." Korrian replied. "The trauma he endured is enough for him to cope with. You'll have to break the news to him gradually and that's only if he doesn't sense their ki first."

"Hmph," Piccolo grunted.

Mr. Popo went to Gohan's beside and gave the young man's free hand a tender squeeze. "He'll be well taken care of."

"Now, about Freiza…," said the feline god. "We should prepare ourselves and hope that this young man will be stable enough to assist us. Without Goku around he's the only person on Earth strong enough to defeat him."

"So he is a super Saiyan?" Piccolo queried.

"Yes, and then some."

Piccolo frowned and spoke tersely. "How do you mean?"

"His power is growing and there's a possibility that he as ascended beyond that of super Saiyan."

Piccolo jerked as if stricken.

"On the contrary," Korrain countered. "He's very weak right now, having nearly burnt himself out in the conflict. He'll need to eat soon if he is to sustain himself and the developing fetuses."

Kami blinked but said nothing and took a seat in an arm chair near the window. He pulled open the curtains to allow a perfect view of the sprawling garden at the front of the lookout.

"A Saiyan apparently knows no limits," Korrain joked.

"But at least Goku is well and will be returning soon!" Mr. Popo said cheerfully.

Piccolo's eyes narrowed, "…about that. Goku died in the future from a heart virus. Gohan was sent here with the medication to save him and I've got it along with Gohan's belongings."

"Yes, I remember overhearing that in the message," said Kami. He gave his fellow Namekian a wane smile. "I apologize for the interruption. Do carry on…"

"We won't know when the attack happens until it does," Piccolo continued. "Gohan will know when to administer the drug as Bulma instructed in her message and I'll make sure to relay the information to him when he's awake. In the mean time we should do our best to keep an eye on Goku after his return… His illness could strike without warning."

….

………

_Seventeen whirled to face his twin. "Me first…"_

_Eighteen gave her brother a calculative glare and crouched above Gohan's head to ensure that the energy cuffs remained secure. She nodded once to confirm that they were and her sibling knelt at the Saiyan's feet and allowed the ki bands around his ankles to dissipate. _

"_Hurry, before he tries to free himself," Eighteen urged._

_The raven haired android sneered and gripped Gohan's calves, nudging his legs apart with one knee. _

_Gohan gave the android a look of horror. "Wh-What are you doing?"_

"_I'm going to fuck you while the boy watches," Seventeen said casually. "And then when I'm done I'm going to kill him."_

…..

……..

Gohan struggled to grasp the strange images, wanting to piece them together like a puzzle but they evaporated as he was shaken awake. With wide frightened eyes, he looked up to find that his mother was there, her hands on his shoulders.

"M-Mother?"

"Gohan, you were dreaming… I heard you cry out and realized you must've nodded off. Didn't you get enough rest during your nap?"

"I didn't take a nap. I-I was reading up on the history of feudal Japan and…"

"I swear…," chichi sighed. "Are you alright?"

Gohan nodded solemnly, blinking away the burn of unshed tears. "I-It was just a dream… Sorry I fell asleep."

With her hands on her hips, Chichi shook her head. "It's okay. I…I've been pushing you too hard, I guess… I don't want you getting sick so I'll let you off the hook for today."

Gohan's face brightened.

"BUT," His mother warned, "Only for today. …Understood?"

Gohan smiles, "Can I go outside?"

"Silly boy," Chichi laughed. "Go on and get out of here. I expect you home before dinnertime." She gave the child a playful swat to his butt as he got up from his chair.

"Okay!"

"But don't let me catch you with Piccolo or I'll tan your hide!" she hollered after him.

Gohan ran to the open window, leapt out, and was gone like a shot before Chichi had a chance to protest.

The irate mother folded her arms and huffed. "I'm seriously going to have to teach that boy to start using the door like a normal human being."

……

………

…………

An hour had passed since Gohan was force fed the senzu bean and he had yet to awaken. Piccolo hadn't expected him to. The guy was probably exhausted, considering what he'd been through to get here…

'_I can't even begin to fathom what you have endured. Even Korrain was reluctant to say much. I'll have to press him for more information later…_' He began undressing Gohan's bandages, starting at his head so that Gohan could see properly when he woke. In doing so, Piccolo was dismayed to find that the enchanted seed hadn't healed all of his wounds. He drew his index finger down the thin vertical line of scarring extending from the middle of the Saiyan's forehead over his left eye and ending at the center of his cheek.

"We all possess physical reminders of our past," Kami replied. "…Even the bad ones."

"He's seen more suffering in his lifetime than most of us," Piccolo said over his shoulder. "The last thing he needs to see is this thing staring back at him in a mirror every day."

Kami nodded, "That may be true but at this point, he is lucky to be alive. He will learn to live with the scar. There are things far more important for him to be concerned about…"

Piccolo restrained the growl rising in his throat. _'He carries an android's bastard offspring,' _he thought ruefully_. _

"As Korrain recommends, we'll have to break it to him gently," Kami replied.

Piccolo narrowed his eyes, "I never gave you permission to listen in."

"You still have much to learn in controlling your emotions, Piccolo. You say that you don't have them but when your feelings are strongest, you are easy to read and in this situation I cannot help myself. I want to be of some assistance to you and I would prefer that you be open with me but if that were the case I wouldn't **have** to pry."

"…"

"I understand your concern and I am well aware of your love for this boy. Even if he is from an alternate timeline, he shares the same memories as his younger self." The corners of Kami's eyes crinkled, lips quirked.

"You took him in when he was in need, when his father was not there to support him. You fed him, trained him, cared for and protected him. He is like a son to you. I have not had the privilege of fathering a child so I am unable to completely relate to your feelings. But as your better half, I am able to interpret your thoughts and feelings. Gohan was the first person that didn't fear you. Instead, he idolized you, loved you." He chuckled, "…even called you 'Uncle'. Eventually the darkness in your heart began to recede …"

Piccolo bared his teeth, "You're out of line, old man."

"Hardly, m'boy. You just despise the fact that I'm right. Your pride won't allow you to admit it and I don't expect you to either."

Piccolo continued peeling medical tape and bloodied gauze, tossing it in a waste bin that Mr. Popo had kindly provided him. "I didn't come here to talk about us. I brought him here because it's the only place I knew that he'd be safe and he needed to see a proper healer. If you wish to make my stay difficult, I can leave. After all, I got what I came for. What use are you to me now?"

Kami sighed. "I apologize… I would like you to stay. Though we hardly have much in common, I do enjoy your company."

Piccolo smirked. "Getting lonely in your old age?"

The god of earth pinched his brow, "Must you pour salt into my wounds? I realize I'm old and I haven't left this place in longer than I can remember but it is my duty. I made a commitment and I intend to keep it."

The turbaned demi-god chuckled, "It's my duty to give you a hard time. It's better than strangling you in anger…"

"That is only because if I die, you will as well."

"Exa-GhHK!!" A hand shot to Piccolo's throat, crushing his larynx in mid-sentence.

Before Kami had time to react, Piccolo was thrown across the room like a rag doll with enough force that he plowed through the adjacent wall and skidded to a painful halt on the stone tiles outside.

Mr. Popo, who had been tending to the geraniums he'd recently planted, dropped his watering can in shock, "PICCOLO!"

Piccolo rose unsteadily to his knees, clutching his throat in agony. He wheezed gasping as his healing ability worked rapidly to repair his windpipe. He felt Popo at his side and clasped the faithful genie's shoulder. "I-I'm alri-ghk—right…," he rasped. "J-Just at t-the…Gh…wrong place, nngha… wrong time…"

A thunderous crash arose from inside, followed by the ear-splitting tone of breaking glass and Kami's shout of alarm.

"KAMI!" both cried in unison.

Eyes white with rage, Gohan exploded into super saiyan and leapt from the bed, slamming Kami to the floor.

The Earth God scarcely had time to raise an energy shield before the impact and even then it was no match against someone so powerful. His cane clattered to the floor, adding to the noise of fragile objects being strewn about by the backwash of the Saiyan's ki. He remained conscious despite the strain on his aging body and reached up to grip the man's biceps. "Gohan!" he shouted, "GET AHOLD OF YOUR SELF!"

If Gohan heard him, it didn't seem to register. He crouched above him like a hungry predator, lips curled back to flash nimble canines, a gilded tail whipping the air with an audible snap. Sneering, the maddened Super Saiyan loomed over the old god and reared a glowing fist, ready to deliver the coup de grace.

"Dear God!" Kami gasped.

"RRRRRAAAHHHHH!!" Piccolo lunged at Gohan, throwing the brunt of his weight into the Saiyan's body and knocking him off of Kami into the furthest corner of the bedchamber.

The Saiyan sneered and flipped them both, pummeling his former sensei with a barrage of bone shattering punches.

The turban slipped from Piccolo's head and he spat blood and bits of teeth and was met with a hard-edged hand to the base of his skull. He plowed against the floor then rolled and came up smoothly. He cracked his neck with a jerk of his head, his regenerative abilities making short work of his jaw and forcing new teeth to emerge from bloodied gums.

The feral Gohan was upon him again but Piccolo had predicted his next move and all the Saiyan struck was empty air. A heavy foot swept his feet out from under him and Gohan fell hard onto his side.

Gohan gasped, the temporary rush of air from his lungs leaving him momentarily disoriented long enough to allow the Namekian to make his final move.

Piccolo spun the stunned Saiyan onto his back and straddled his torso to immobilize his arms then cold cocked him. "WAKE UP DAMNIT!"

Gohan's head whipped to the side and almost as if a switch had been flipped he sagged in Piccolo's grasp. He groaned pitifully, the deadly glow of his eyes returning to the normal teal of super Saiyan. "P-P-Pic-co-lo?" He stammered.

"Yes," he confirmed.

Gohan stared at him in disbelief, mouth open in surprise and eyes huge. "A-Am I dead?" he asked softly.

The demi-god's expression softened, "No. You're as alive as I am."

The young man looked to either side of him in confusion. "Wh-Where are we?"

Piccolo was pleased that the boy had come to his senses and smirked, addressing the room with an expansive wave of his arm. "You're at the lookout with Kami and Popo. You were badly injured and I brought you here to be healed and it worked like a charm, though I was hardly expecting you to pull a stunt like that…" He turned to see if the old man was alright and found Popo helping him up. "…Perhaps a little too well…"

Gohan squirmed, licking a busted lip, "But…you're supposed to be dead…" His eyes filled with moisture. "They're **all** dead…."

Piccolo removed himself from Gohan and sat beside him to allow the boy to rise. He was stunned into silence when the man threw his arms around him in a bear hug. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again!!"

"Sah, brat…" Piccolo flushed purple and reciprocated the embrace, giving the Saiyan an awkward pat on the back. His face burned hotter when Gohan shuddered, pressing his face against his chest.

Gohan sobbed brokenly, fisting Piccolo's cape, "Piccolooooo…" He clung to the demi-god tightly, fearing that at any moment he'd wake up and find that it was a part of some twisted nightmare. "I-I thought you were… I wasn't there to save you b-but you're here!!"

Piccolo hung his head to mask the sting of his own emotions and curled his fingers into stiff golden locks. '_I swear to god that if I should ever meet these androids I'll make them regret what they've done… I swear it on my life_.'

He bit back a protective snarl when he felt the pressure of Kami's hand on his back.

"We're all alive here, including your father," he whispered.

"F-Father…," Gohan stuttered. "Wh-…I don't understand… I was…gh……OH…oh god..hgk…… TRUNKS!" The tiles beneath him cracked.

Piccolo glared daggers at the elder, '_I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!!_'

Kami raised his hands submission. '_I am only offering comfort…_'

'_FUCK OFF!!_'

"Please, remain calm or we'll all be destroyed," Popo begged. "I don't know how much the lookout can take from such power… The foundation is beginning to tremble…"

Sensing Popo's urgency, Piccolo shook the inconsolable Saiyan, "Gohan, look at me…You need to control yourself."

"Nnngh…Hnk…T-Trunks…" Dots of white hot light sparked from his hair and shoulders, the walls bowing from the force of his turmoil. The room grew visibly lighter and objects that weren't bolted to the floor began to levitate. "I let him die…" A table crashed to the floor and the bed shifted several feet. "I LET HIM DIE!!" The vanity mirror and set of drawers it was connected to lurched to the ceiling and shattered into kindling. Iridescent shrapnel showered around them, sparkling in the diffused midday sun.

Gohan tore himself from Piccolo and stared dazedly at his own hands, ki flaring erratically. His mouth gaped as he was caught up in the hell fire of his memories, feelings of writhing agony, tearing and ripping till blood ran like tears.

Piccolo seized the man by the arm, hissing when the sheer heat of Gohan's ki burned his palm, "God damn it boy, LOOK AT ME!"

Gohan eyes glazed milky-white, tail twitching and thrashing spasmodically as he threw back his head and battered the Namekian's ears with an inhuman howl.

The Saiyan was suddenly assailed by another fist and the sound of someone shouting in his ear.

"LOOK AT ME!" the voice bellowed.

Gohan locked eyes with Piccolo and shoved the demi-god into Mr. Popo, sending both sprawling. He staggered to his feet, golden spikes flashing white-gold and with a roar reached down and yanked the Namekian off his back then unexpectedly went pale and dropped him.

A wild haired boy stood at the entrance, "Piccolo?"

Piccolo scrambled to his feet and bolted for the door, grabbed the child, and disappeared outside before anyone had the chance to react.

With a moan, Future Gohan swayed and tumbled to the floor where he lay still.

Piccolo set the child down. "YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE!"

"B-but," the child protested. "Mom let me skip my studies today and I thought we could go training… How come you're so upset?"

"Th-that is not your concern," piccolo faltered.

"Piccolo, why are you blushing?"

"…Because you have impeccable timing!"

The child blinked.

"I can't train today. There are more important matters that need tending to."

Popo got up and brushed himself off then knelt beside the semi conscious Saiyan. "You shouldn't over exert yourself… We're only trying to help."

Kami peered through the hole in the wall before returning his attention to the older Gohan who remained face down. "Child… You must understand… You were brought here for the greater good of mankind. Bulma saved you from eminent death. She couldn't risk losing you as well so she took it upon herself to deliver you to us along with a message which Piccolo will share with you soon… You are here to forge a better life for us all and more importantly, yourself."

…

……

"Piccolo, who was that anyway? Were you training with him? I saw the hole in the wall and sensed that he has a really strong power level." Little Gohan beamed, "He's strong just like father!"

"HE is none of your concern. I want you to go home now."

"Oh." Gohan pouted, "……Okay…"

"Don't be a brat. I promise I'll explain everything when the time is right… understood?"

"You swear?" The boy raised his right arm and extended his pinky.

"YES!" Piccolo snapped.

The child stubbornly waited, refusing to budge until his mentor had performed the ritual.

Fuming in embarrassment, Piccolo offered his left hand and hooked his own pinky around Gohan's. "THERE! NOW **GET **BEFORE I KICK YOUR ASS!"

Gohan cupped his mouth and hollered at the sky, "KINTO-UUUUUUUUN!"

The yellow-orange cloud, having not drifted far veered down from the heavens and screeched to a halt at the child's side.

"See ya later Uncle Piccolo!" Gohan hopped aboard and took off in a flash, his giggles carrying in the wind.

Piccolo waited till the boy had disappeared completely before he made an about-face and returned to the building. Upon entry he found the older Gohan had recovered his awareness and was upright and staring after the fading trail of energy left in young Gohan's departure.

"Wh-was that…" He trailed off, realizing that his left arm, which had all been but completely severed, was miraculously unscathed. For an instant, the idea that he was given a senzu bean slipped his mind and he flexed his fingers, awed at the lack of pain.

Piccolo moved toward him and offered Gohan his hand, "Korrain brought you a senzu so you should thank him for it when you find the time."

Gohan looked up at Piccolo and nodded once, taking his hand and pulling himself to his feet. "Was that me?"

The room fell silent and Gohan didn't prod further, too exhausted to care at that point. "I…I guess this means she finished the time machine," He said tiredly.

Kami exited the room, deciding that it was best to leave them be and went to assist Popo who was already in the process of cleaning up the mess.

Piccolo led Gohan to the bed and wordlessly indicated for him to sit.

Gohan complied, at the same time powering down to his normal dark-haired state. He ran his hand over the back of his head and sighed miserably. Just then he unexpectedly found himself in Piccolo's arms again, only this time it was the Namekian who had initiated it.

"Welcome home, boy."

TO BE CONTINUED…


	4. Baby Blues

"In The End"

**Chapter 4**

"Baby Blues"

A week had gone by since little Gohan visited Kami's lookout and though he had hoped that Mister Piccolo would come to see him, he didn't really expect he would. Turns out, he was right.

He didn't think that wanting to train was too much to ask for but then, Piccolo did seem a bit distracted. That man he saw… Something about him seemed oddly familiar… When their eyes met it felt like being shocked by a jolt of static electricity. He would've said something to him had Piccolo not whisked him away so hastily.

The child groaned and rested his chin on his knees. That man looked a lot like the one he'd been dreaming about, though he wore a gi like his father's, which only added to his confusion.

'_Daddy, I wish you were here_,' He rocked on his heels.

If only his father was around, then maybe he could help him understand what was happening to him or how the nightmares began or why he even had them in the first place. The weird thing about them was that it didn't even have to be night time when he'd dream… sometimes he was awake in full daylight, like the first time it happened during lunch. Telling his mother he had a vision just about sent her into a conniption.

Needless to say, he wished he hadn't said anything at all. Since then his mother kept a close watch on him and it was becoming increasingly difficult to disguise the fact that he was losing sleep.

He shivered. How could he sleep? Sleep brought dreams of violence and of harsh voices shouting over the clamorous sounds of destruction. He did not understand what any of it meant, the spine tingling shrieks of the dead and dying bringing with them a surge of anger, pain, and a terrible sadness.

He saw snatches and flashes of a man and woman with ice blue eyes, their laughter and harsh words rising in crescendo to the tortured cries of the man they were molesting. The purple haired boy hanging from the wall begged and cried for mercy. When they had finished with the man on the ground, the two bad people would go to the boy and kill him, spilling blood and gore from a gaping hole through the boy's chest.

The man in his father's gi laid there, broken and humiliated, eyes wide and unblinking as if his mind has gone to another place.

"What did that boy do to deserve to die like that?" He asked himself quietly.

Gohan yawned and laid his pencil flat on the table. 'That _man I saw has to know something…_' His forehead struck his knees and he blinked awake, realizing he'd nodded off for a second. '_Nnnngh, mother will be furious with me if she finds me sleeping again._' He straightened his legs and sat upright. '_…Gotta focus. Maybe later I can go find that guy and piccolo…,_' The equation he was attempting to solve blurred, '_…and get some……answers…………_'

……..

………………….

Piccolo had never seen anyone sleep so damn much. For seven days, future Gohan had occupied that bed. The only time he got up was when he ate, showered or used the bathroom. The rest of the time he was more or less a zombie running on autopilot, repeating the process as often as his body demanded then falling back into a deep slumber.

Considering the circumstances, Piccolo understood why this was happening so he didn't complain. He used the spare time to meditate, refusing to leave Gohan's side.

Kami didn't object to Piccolo's presence either. He enjoyed it and occasionally joined him, sitting in a rocking chair opposite of the bed, sometimes with a book and other times to catch a nap.

That first day, for whatever reason, Piccolo had felt inclined to comfort Gohan. It was an instinctual response, one that he could not have resisted even if he tried. He took the boy into his arms and held him for the longest time and to his astonishment, found that Gohan had fallen asleep.

Stifling a chuckle, Piccolo had carefully laid him down, tucked his legs up onto the bed and pulled the covers over him. Gohan hadn't budged for nearly a day before the need to relieve himself overrode his compulsion to sleep. Thankfully, Mr. Popo, who seemed to be instantly there any time someone needed something, showed him to the bathroom. He even fed him an enormous meal fit for a Saiyan, including enough for two more …

His shoulders dropped. Shit, he still hadn't mustered the courage to tell Gohan about his "condition" or about Bulma's message. He hadn't the heart to. Gohan had been so distraught and with the additional shock of seeing the younger version of himself…

Gohan turned to lay flat on his back. He'd kicked the covers off him an hour or so ago, exposing his naked torso and the rounded bulge protruding from it.

'_They're growing faster than any of us thought and he __**still**__ doesn't know…__'_ He ran his hand over his face and groaned. '_But he will know soon enough… he's put on a considerable amount of weight in his midsection. He'd be stupid not to detect how strong they've gotten …Maybe all the sleeping and eating is another part of it… It's not just that he's drained from all the use of his power but because they're growing at such an alarming rate. He's subconsciously reserving all of his energy for them_.'

Gohan groaned, clutching the pillow in a death grip and burrowed his face deeper into it. His tail thumped the mattress, making it obvious that he was having another one of those dreams.

Piccolo slouched, unable to concentrate any longer and lay his face in his hands. '_He's been having nightmares… I've looked into his mind and seen the people he's lost and the horrible things that were done to him. …I don't know how he's carried on for so long. I'm not even sure if there's anything I can do to help him but I have to try… I've been there to calm him, offering a way to block them out to allow him to continue to sleep undeterred. I can't predict how he'll react or even what his personality will be until he's coherent. Till then, I can only wait..._'

'_You can't expect to know how to fix everything_,' Kami's voice spoke through their link. He stood in the door way, the sun giving him an almost ethereal presence. '_I realize how much you wish you could reach into the world of his past and undo the wrongs committed against him. Neither of us possess that power…You can't keep blaming yourself for not being able to protect him if your future self died long before Gohan even encountered these issues…_'

'_He had no one to help him. I would have done something more to try and stay alive in that time... He's endured so much suffering that I don't even know where to begin! What they've done to him is sick and now he's had to pay the ultimate price by… Nn…WHEN HE WAKES UP HE'S GONNA SEE THAT!_' Piccolo clenched his jaw and pointed a shaking finger in the direction of Gohan's belly. '_They tortured and raped him then murdered the child he swore to protect!! It torments him. Every day, for the past week, he relives that moment and awakens screaming and all I can do is comfort him._'

'_Dreams can be so tangible that it is hard to tell the difference between reality and what isn't. You should understand that. After all, you have your own personal demons that you've had to face…_'

'_That was another life… I was someone else then._'

'_Nevertheless, your previous incarnation as the Demon King still haunts you. It is why you have taken up meditation. Am I correct?_'

'……'

'_It's good that you've taken the initiative to find peace in your heart. Adopting Gohan that year before the Saiyans came was what began your journey away from an eternity in Hell._'

"Nn…nnn…," Gohan moaned again and curled into a fetal position, muscles twitching involuntarily.

Kami sauntered toward the bed.

Piccolo stood hastily and halted him with a threatening growl, '_He is __**my**__ responsibility. If I am to atone for my sins, you have no right to intervene._'

The elder Namekian gave a curt nod. "So be it…," he said aloud, "But I must warn you. This man is not the only one who is suffering…"

"I know what you're getting at and I know the boy is having nightmares as well…"

"It seems that the both of them have developed a bond, much like the one we share. It was never meant for two of the same people to exist in a single timeline but in traveling here, a rift in the continuum was created. Call it, a 'twinning factor'."

The demi-god's expression was dismal. "Does that mean that if one dies, the other will as well?"

'_Not necessarily. But it's obvious they're sharing the same dreams. You've been so preoccupied with Future Gohan that you've neglected his child-self. If you wish to take on this responsibility solely, then you must do your part in caring for them equally._'

'_Are you trying to tell me how I should 'parent' them when you yourself said you lack the experience?_'

Kami struck the floor with the butt of his cane, '_You are THINNING my patience, BOY!_'

Piccolo raised a brow ridge.

'_I may be old but I am wise beyond your years and I have learned a thing or two! So, you'd best learn to respect your elders for once and take my advice a little more seriously._'

"Nn…Gh…NNNN…NO…" Gohan's skin glistened with sweat as he became increasingly restless, "…s-stop…. GhnnN…TRUNKS!!"

Piccolo sat gingerly upon the mattress, freeing the twisted sheets from Gohan's legs and leaned down so that his face was close. "Gohan," he whispered.

"Nnn!" The pillow tore, spewing feathers and soft down. "Nm…"

A large emerald hand slid over his naked shoulder, quaking from the violent tremor seizing the young man's body. "Gohan," Piccolo said forcefully.

The tension lining Gohan's face eased by a fraction. "…P-Piccolo…?"

"Yeah..."

Heavy eyelids slip open and Gohan stared at him for a long time, poring over the image of his dear friend and mentor hovering above him. At last, he shakily lifted his hand and touched the Namekian's cheek with his fingertips. Same mouth, same nose, same sloping brows and pointed ears, "You're still alive…"

"Of course I am you dimwit," Piccolo chuckled, doing his best to swallow the knot in his throat. '_Damn you boy. How do you do this to me?'_ He sat up, decidedly too close for comfort and turned away to recollect himself.

Gohan rose from the bed and found Mr. Popo standing nearby.

The genie strode to his side and presented him with a tray containing a glass of iced tea and a pitcher full of more if he needed. "You must be thirsty." His smile was warm and inviting, "You should drink to replenish yourself."

Kami offered Piccolo a handkerchief.

Piccolo scowled and stood abruptly then swatted the old man's hand in disapproval before momentarily excusing himself outdoors.

Kami stooped to pick up the discarded cloth and returned it to the folds of his robe. He shrugged and chuckled wearily. "Good afternoon, young man. Have you slept well?"

Gohan nodded half heartedly and took a good mouthful of the tea. He tipped his head back, a trail of cool liquid spilling down his chin as he never came up for a breath till he had finished. He set the empty glass down with a clink of ice and poured himself some more.

"Are you hungry?" Mr. Popo asked hopefully.

"Ravenous," Gohan rasped, gulping down the second glass in record time. He placed the tumbler upon the tray with a satisfied gasp and licked his lips. "Is Piccolo okay?"

"Oh yes," Kami replied. "It's just that…" he tapped his chin, knowing the younger Namekian was likely listening in. "He is very concerned for you. We all are."

Gohan nodded, not disagreeing with him and rubbed at the sweat that had collected on his chest. He sniffed derisively, his sense of smell alerting him that he hadn't bathed in a while. "…need to shower," he said nonchalantly.

"Oh, well then, be my guest."

"I'll show you if you don't remember where," Mr. Popo replied. "In the mean time I can prepare your meal."

"Nn..nah…I think I remember where…," he trailed off. "….have I put on weight?" He stared pointedly at his stomach which was no longer defined by the 'six pack' of muscle. Instead, his rippled abdomen had been replaced by a solid curve of flesh that appeared as though he had gorged himself.

Kami rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Uh, about that…"

Mr. Popo touched Gohan's arm to divert the young man's attention away from his 'belly' and said with remarkable seriousness. "This will come as a shock to you but you are with child."

Gohan flinched, his tail bristling.

" …With twins," the genie finished. "But we will explain how it happened if you would remain calm and listen…"

Kami stared at his friend, thankful for the intervention and turned just in time to see a composed Piccolo re-enter the room. "Piccolo, some assistance please…"

Gohan came to his feet so fast that he just about threw the bed over on its side. "I'M WHAT?!"

"It's true," Piccolo affirmed.

The saiyan's legs trembled and he grabbed onto the mattress behind him. His face was deathly pale, "I…I…B-But that…. Th-that's im-p-possible!"

Remnants of down and tiny feather wafted around them from the mangled pillow. Piccolo waved away an arrant plume, "Maybe so, but it's happening… and if you can grasp at 'why' then you'll discover where they came fro-"

It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened and Gohan was certainly not an idiot. "I DON'T WANT IT!" Gohan yelled, looking as though he was about to be sick. "I DON'T… I don't…." He sank to the floor, his hand erupting with ki. "Get it out….. That monster did this to me…." He snarled viciously, flickering super, "That MUTHERFUCKER DID THIS TO ME! GET IT OUT!" With eyes wild with unrestrained fear, he panicked and turned his hand on himself, hovering above the swell of his middle.

"GOHAN NO!" Piccolo attempted to grab him but the pregnant Saiyan evaded his maneuvers.

Kami staggered to avoid being run into and Piccolo caught his arm to steady him.

"THIS IS MY BODY! I DON'T WANT THAT PIECE-OF-SHIT'S ...**TH-THINGS**!!" His voice raised another octave as he fully ascended.

"Please don't hurt your self," Popo pleaded.

"He …did….Hgk," Gohan dry heaved, ignoring the genie's plea. "ON PURPOSE!" His hand glowed brighter and he winced in pain as the heat of the ki ball in his palm blistered his skin. "I don't want it… don't…HN-want…MONSTERS GROWING INSIDE ME!!" He heaved again and slumped weakly against the foot of the bed.

"Gohan, if you kill yourself and them, you will be no better than the androids…"

"How can you SAY that?" Gohan hissed. "HOW CAN YOU FUCKING SAY THAT?!" He lurched to his feet and charged at Piccolo with a wail of rage. He lobbed a ki ball at the Namekian's head and missed. "I'M NOTHING LIKE THEM! THEY MURDERED MY FAMILY!! THEY HUMILIATED ME AND DESTROYED EVERYONE I LOVED!!'

The Demi-God took this chance to make his move and with eye-blurring speed, pivoted on his heels, turning sideways, and caught the intended right hook to his face. "You're weak!" He twisted Gohan's wrist and flipped the younger man to face the other direction with his arm locked behind his back. He then curled his left arm around Gohan's neck in a chokehold.

"KAMI," Piccolo shouted. "Grab his tail and squeeze it if he tries to escape!!"

The Earth God hesitated only long enough to receive a death glare from the younger Namekian before he regretfully complied and caught the thrashing appendage.

Gohan yowled in pain and tugged futilely at Piccolo's elbow with his free hand. "Let-HNNNNN-ME-GK-GO!!"

"NO! You're going to end up burning yourself out and endangering the babies if you keep this shit up!!"

"I DON'T CARE!! LET THEM DIE!!"

Piccolo's patience finally snapped, "LOOK AT YOU!" he roared. "YOU'RE A FUCKING SUPER SAIYAN AND I BLOCKED YOUR PUNCH! I HAVEN'T SEEN SUCH A WEAK DISPLAY OF FIGHTING SKILL SINCE YOU WERE FOUR YEARS OLD!! DIDN'T YOU LEARN ANYTHING FROM ME? WAKE UP BRAT AND GROW THE FUCK UP!!" He lessened his hold on the young man's windpipe enough so that he could speak.

"How could you make a decision like that for me? You should have terminated it when you had the chance. It isn't fair that you're asking me to take responsibility for this!"

"Life is never fair! That's reality Gohan and it fucking sucks …but you don't see me bitching about it! You should know that despite the unforgivable things they've done, it's wrong to take an innocent life," Piccolo hissed. "What would your father say if he saw you like this? Those infants NEVER asked to be created and yet here they are… You can't punish them for something they had no control of."

Gohan lowered his gaze to the alien swell of his belly, watching it rise and fall with every breath he took. He said nothing and shut his eyes against the memory of Android Seventeen's hands roaming his body, exploiting his involuntary response to stimuli.

He shuddered. It was that fucker's fault that he now looked like this. That bastard enjoyed it too and worst of all, forced poor Trunks to watch… "God…" He shook his head to try and block out the gut wrenching sound of the boy's dying screams.

"I know you want to make him pay…" Piccolo soothed, "and you'll have your chance if they show up like Bulma said…"

"Bulma…" Gohan's eyes flew wide open. "IS SHE HERE TOO?!"

Kami lowered his eyes, which Gohan took as a "no".

"When I found you in the time machine… there was a message meant for you but you were unconscious so I listened in your stead." Piccolo paused for a moment to allow the information to sink in before he continued. "Bulma sent you here to save the past from a future like yours along with a medicine to cure your father's heart virus."

Gohan craned his head to try and look the Namekian in the eye, "You have it?"

"Yes, and I have more detailed instructions to give you based on his treatment but I'll save it for later."

"And what about the time machine?"

"When I extricated you from the ship, Bulma had it set to self destruct once the message had been delivered. She meant for you to stay here, to build yourself a better life surrounded by your loved ones… She wanted you to have a family.

"D-Did she know about my…?"

"….She didn't know about your pregnancy," Piccolo said reassuringly. "We only just found out a week ago when Korrain examined you."

With an unsteady sigh, Gohan let his grip on Super Saiyan slip and he sagged in the older man's arms, dark bangs hanging limply over his eyes. "But I'm a man," he said wistfully. "I-It's not supposed to be…. This way…" He bit his lip to stifle the plaintive cry aching in his throat.

Piccolo held him tightly, refusing to release him till he knew that Gohan wouldn't make any further attempts on his life.

Gohan finally spoke again, "…But …how?"

Kami glanced between the two then at Popo, who remained still as a statue, afraid that anything sudden would provoke the Saiyan into another rage.

Piccolo gave a frustrated growl. "I have spoken with Korrain and he knows some things, having divulged this information from King Kai himself. But there is still so much that I don't know about the Saiyans so I'm afraid that my knowledge of 'male reproduction' is limited."

The Saiyan raised a brow, "Have you tried talking to Vegeta instead?"

"I do not wish to disturb him with such trivial matters. It isn't his right to know nor do I intend to tell him. Besides, he isn't even here… He stole one of Bulma's ships and ran off muttering about finding your father…. Kami, Popo, Korrain, and my self are the only ones who are fully aware of your existence and of your… condition. It will remain that way until you decide who you wish to speak with yourself."

Gohan winced, distracted from his negative thoughts to the hands clutching his sensitive appendage. "Can he let my tail go now? …please?"

Piccolo jutted his chin to let the God know it was okay and Kami allowed the furry limb to slip from his fingers.

Gohan squirmed, annoyed that he hadn't been freed yet, "Tell me what you know."

"I'll explain after you've eaten and showered," Piccolo replied, then promptly let him go.

…

……

………

"Is it really necessary that you follow me around and watch my every move? With the way you were glaring at me during lunch I could've burst into flames."

Piccolo sat cross-legged on the floor and glowered at Gohan's silhouette through the shower curtain. "You haven't given me reason to trust you after pulling that idiotic stunt about killing yourself," he spat.

Gohan fumed, scrubbing furiously at his arms with a sponge.

"And cut the attitude. I won't tolerate your juvenile antics."

"I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING!"

"…you didn't have to…"

"If you haven't noticed, I happen to be pregnant with my sworn enemy's bastard children and yet you insist that I grow the fuck up and deal with it!! I never asked for this!"

"…and I told you, **neither** did **they**!" Piccolo bit back. "Your father above all else considered life too precious to lose, even those of his enemies, which I'll never understand his reasoning for it. Goku would have been disappointed in knowing that you are so quick to punish the innocent lives you carry."

"My Father's moral's have nothing to do with it."

"It has everything to do with it because he can see the good in all things even in a situation such as the one you've found yourself in. You are his son and he did his best to set an example for you."

"My father has been dead for fourteen years, Piccolo… FOURTEEN!" He knelt on the floor of the bathtub and let the stinging heat beat down on his back. "Fourteen years spent fighting for my life… witnessing countless lives lost and lacking the power to rescue them… It changes you, hardens you… I did everything I could and it was never enough… And now, the one thing I should have control of, I'm also being denied. ….If I allow this to continue then that would mean they won and I can't let that go… I can't just sit here and be 'okay' with this. I want justice… I want revenge for what they did!"

Piccolo tugged at the ruffle around his neck, sweating in the thickening steam. "Revenge won't solve anything. I've learned that valuable lesson from personal experience. You just have to cope with it and eventually find the strength to let it go."

"………" Gohan resumed vigorously scrubbing. He cradled his tail in his hands, gently massaging the soap into water-matted fur, working it to a fine lather then carefully running his circled fingers along its length to rinse out the suds. "When did my tail grow back?" he asked, attempting to change the subject.

A smile tugged at the corners of Piccolo's mouth. "It happened shortly after I brought you here on the first day, possibly when you were given the senzu."

"Ah…"

"Korrain said that Saiyans and Namekians are alike in certain ways."

"snort How'd he come to that conclusion?"

"Because," Piccolo said tersely. "We're both from a male dominated race so evolution has taken care of the ability to procreate. Namekians can either 'mate' as a couple through a means of physical-achem-contact or by reproducing asexually." He paused to check if the man was listening and judging by Gohan's silence, he was. "Saiyans, on the other hand, due to the low percentage of female births, some males, developed an ability to reproduce like women. Females were weeded out of the Namekian race altogether… The saiyans were soon to follow that example had Freiza not destroyed them… Perhaps he knew this and it gave him even more reason to erase them from existence."

"And you got this information from Korrain."

"While you were asleep, yes, but I intend to return for more information later. You're welcome to join me if you wish."

Gohan was oddly silent.

"Gohan?"

"…ah…"

Piccolo stood and approached the shower curtain and was just about to open it when a gasp made him freeze. "Gohan?" he asked a second time.

"…yeah?"

"Are you alright?"

Gohan sounded queasy, "… I-I…"

Piccolo relinquished his hand, "You felt them, didn't you?"

"Y-Yes…" was the saiyans meek reply.

"And what was that like?"

"What do you mean, 'what was that like'? What am I supposed to say, that it felt peachy, that I'm glad that I have two beings growing inside me?" Gohan threw up his arms and shouted, "OH, THE JOY! I'M A MOTHER!"

Piccolo rolled his eyes and in his frustration began to shed his cape and turban. He muttered a few curses and threw his turban at the shower curtain. "It's like a fucking sauna in here! Are you sure you aren't trying to boil yourself to death!?"

Gohan grimaced to conceal the grin threatening to break his dark mood. "I felt their kis pulse, l-like a heart beat."

"Are you going to be okay?" the Namekian said quietly.

"Yeah, sure…" was the Saiyan's sarcastic remark. "I won't kill myself if that's what you mean."

The roar of the shower cut off.

Piccolo ignored the boy's cynicism and nodded, retrieving a towel from the rack. "…Then you understand…" He slid his arm around the side of the curtain and gave it to Gohan.

"Only because you continue to remind me…"

"That's a good start."

"What if…"

Piccolo's ears perked. "Hm?"

Gohan placed his hands on his stomach, fear turning his insides to ice. "What if they come out looking like him?"

"We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Well, that's a comforting thought," Gohan said snidely.

"You'll learn to live with what's given to you. Otherwise you wouldn't have come this far just to quit."

"I want to give up…"

Piccolo grinned toothily, "But you haven't yet."

"Piccolo?"

"Hm?"

The curtain was pushed aside and Gohan climbed out with the towel snug around his waist. "How exactly does a man like me give birth? I wasn't born with a vagina, you know."

Piccolo shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, heat spreading over the bridge of his nose. "To be honest, I'm not exactly sure."

Gohan eyed the taller man with mild amusement and swallowed the knot of mounting dread. "Hn… Well…" He mirrored his father's sheepish grin. "I hope that Korrain can answer my questions or there's going to be real reason to worry…"

"I don't doubt that he will." Piccolo replied. "Now quit your bitching, dry off, and get dressed."

To Be Continued…


End file.
